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Posts: 1030
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Making his way out of the acid pool and spiked pit room was no easy task for Rick but he somehow managed it keeping himself in one piece. He found a stairwell that led upwards and climbed its forty-five or so stairs. This brought him to another corridor that forked just a few feet ahead of him. He peered down both hallways trying to decipher his way in the darkness. This part seemed unfamiliar to him but Rick knew he would’ve had to come this way the last time he was here.
Taking a small penlight from his pocket he shined it down each branch of the fork. They seemed almost identical except one was covered in pictographs. Rick didn’t remember there being pictures on the walls so he took the other corridor. This led him down a snaking path that ended at another stairwell.
“This is it” he proclaimed looking up at the stairs “must be four hundred feet at least.”
He drew Durendal from its sheath and started the climb that would bring him to the chamber that held the Sword of the Apocalypse. It seemed to take Rick forever to climb to the top. He was panting loudly as he reached the second step from the top. Then the earpiece in his left ear buzzed to life.
“Sir” Coyote’s robotic voice greeted him “Princess Blu is demanding to speak with you.”
“She’s awake? Good, but now’s not really the time…”
“Rick” Skylar Blu’s voice broke in “thank goodness it is you. I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming when you carried me out of that hell hole.”
“I’m glad you’re okay” Rick replied “but I really need to get back to work.”
“I know but I wanted to thank you for saving me. I also want to help you catch the S.O.B who kidnapped me. I think I’m well enough to leave the ship and come to you.”
“Skylar, no offense, but you’d be better off staying there. You’d only get in the way down here. The Sanctuary is just one big death trap.”
“But I want to help” the Mithunaen princess said her voice quavering.
Rick could just visualize her pouting lips as she finished speaking. The soft luscious lips that he felt pressed against his own many of times in the past. Just hearing her speak sent his head spinning with infatuation. He truly was in love with the little minx. There was no other explanation. But he needed a clear head if he were to continue this mission.
“Skylar I promise I’ll be back to the ship soon. Then we can catch up. But right now I need to think straight and you are not making it easy.”
“Oh” she said catching his meaning “I’m sorry Rick. Guess I’ll just stay here until you get back. But be careful.”
“I will” he promised turning the earpiece off.
Then he climbed the last step and peered into the room on the other side of the doorway. A submachine gun barked from somewhere inside and bullets flew in his direction. Rick moved to the left flattening himself against the wall, his grip tightening on his sword. For the first time since he landed on Vrsabha he wished he’d brought a gun with him.
“What is the old saying” Rick pondered for a moment “never bring a knife to a gunfight?”
More bullets whistled through the doorway in short bursts. Then there was the audible click of an empty magazine. Rick chanced a look through the door and saw the gunman replacing the magazine. He made his move while the other man was distracted. Rushing through the doorway he swung his sword in front of him as if he’d given in to some berserker instincts.
Hawk blocked the first few blows with his Spectre. He even managed to strike his assailant on the chin with the butt end of the submachine gun. But the man shrugged it off and came forward again swinging a large broadsword. Hawk backed away searching for something else to fight back with and then his eye caught sight of a crowbar. He made his move and dove to the other side of the room reaching with outstretched fingers until he felt the cool metal within his grasp.
For the first time since entering the room Rick noticed the large table was empty. He paused a moment looking at the floor as if the SOTA might have simply rolled onto it. But the weapon was nowhere in the room. A trail of neon green splotches led to some double doors that he did not remember being there before. Last time he was here there had been three large storage lockers along that wall.
“Must’ve been there to hide the doors” Rick mused briefly before turning his attention back towards his rival.
He was just in time to parry a blow from the crowbar with his sword. Rick should’ve kept his attention on Hawk.
“Must be getting rusty in my old age” he mumbled blocking another strike with the edge of his blade.
Durendal held out against the crowbar. The quality blade didn’t even so much as think it might chip like a lesser sword would surely have done. The two men faced each other, both needing a moment to catch their breaths after the long stair climbs and the exertion they each put forth. Rick and Hawk resembled two gladiators gripping their weapons tight waiting for the Emperor to give them the signal to begin.
“Give it up Hawk” Rick commanded “you won’t get away with this!”
“Looks like I’m at a disadvantage here stranger” Hawk replied with a grim smile “you know my name but I don’t know yours.”
“Just think of me as your undoing” Rick answered back “name’s not important.”
The sword and crowbar clanged together as they each swung and parried trying to gain the upper hand over the other. Rick’s weapon was by far the better quality but the crowbars thickness thwarted his attempts at slicing it in half. Hawk managed to break away and kick out with his left foot connecting with Rick’s kneecap.
Rick went down with a cry of pain. He instinctively clutched his knee in both hands dropping his sword to the floor while he did so. Hawk stood over him and raised the crowbar up high ready to bring it down on his opponent’s head. The blow would surely cave Rick’s head in ending his life. But the blow didn’t come.
Hawk’s back contorted in pain causing him to drop the crowbar. He reached back to rub the area and felt something metallic sticking in his back. He couldn’t quite turn his head far enough around to see it but when he tried he did get a glimpse at what had stuck the metallic things there. A metal construct was standing a few feet behind him holding what resembled an ancient stun gun.
Wires protruded from the device and curled their way to Hawk’s back. The Renegade managed to grab the wires and yank the small metallic prongs from his back. Then he saw more of the constructs moving into the room from both doorways. Soon both Hawk and Rick were surrounded by ten of the monstrous creations.
“Left over security drones” Rick said in a harsh whisper “must’ve become mindless without their masters.”
“So what do we do?” Hawk asked.
Rick Rapture chewed over the question for a moment and hated himself for the answer he was about to give “looks like we’ll have to work together if we are to survive.”
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